JP2007114312A - Method for manufacturing liquid crystal display apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To manufacture a liquid crystal display apparatus having high reliability, without uneven gaps by disposing spacer particles to be placed within the same plane. <P>SOLUTION: When a spacer dispersion liquid applied on the surface of a substrate 15 is heated to a first heating temperature to remove a low boiling point solvent, a high boiling point solvent and spacer particles 33 remain on the surface of the substrate 15. The density of the spacer particles 33 increases, as much as the low boiling point solvent is removed, which induces aggregation of the particles 33; however, since the spacer particles 33 have high wetting property with the high boiling point solvent, surfaces of the spacer particles 33 are wet with the high boiling point solvent and the particles will not stack, but will aggregate within the same plane. By subsequently heating the liquid to a second heating temperature to remove the high boiling point solvent, the spacer particles 33 remain on the substrate 15 in an aggregated state within the same plane. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to the technical field of liquid crystal display devices, and more particularly, to a method for disposing spacer particles on a substrate.

Conventionally, spacer particles have been used in liquid crystal display devices in order to keep the distance between the substrates constant.
As a method for dispersing the spacer particles, a method in which the dispersion liquid in which the spacer particles are dispersed is applied to a predetermined position on the surface of the substrate using an ink jet printing apparatus or the like, and then the solvent of the dispersion liquid is removed by drying.

  However, when the spacer particle density in the dispersion is high, the spacer particles 133 may be stacked on the surface of the substrate 111 after drying, as shown in FIG. A portion where the spacer particles 133 are stacked is higher in height from the surface of the substrate 111 than a portion where the spacer particles 133 are not stacked.

  Therefore, when the substrate 111 and another substrate are bonded together, in the portion where the spacer particles 133 are stacked, the other substrate comes into contact with the spacer particles 133, but in the portion where the spacer particles 133 are not stacked, Even if another substrate is not in contact with the spacer particles 133 or is in contact with the spacer particles 133, the distance between the substrates is smaller than the portion where the spacer particles 133 overlap. As described above, when the spacer particles 133 are stacked, the substrate is supported only by some spacer particles, or the distance between the substrates becomes uneven (gap unevenness).

If the spacer particle density in the dispersion is lowered and the number of spacer particles arranged in one place is reduced to 3 or less, the stacking of the spacer particles is prevented.
However, if the number of spacer particles is reduced, there is a problem that the resistance of the finished product of the liquid crystal display device to vibrations and shocks such as heat is poor. These problems are particularly remarkable in a large-sized liquid crystal display device of 30 inches or more.
JP 2004-109855 A JP 2004-109856 A

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to arrange spacer particles so as to be located in the same plane, and to produce a highly reliable liquid crystal display device having no gap unevenness. is there.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, in which a dispersion containing spacer particles is applied to the substrate surface, and then the dispersion applied to the substrate surface is heated. The dispersion liquid contains the spacer particles, a low boiling point solvent, and a high boiling point solvent having a boiling point higher than that of the low boiling point solvent, and the heating of the dispersion liquid is performed using the dispersion liquid as the high boiling point solvent. In a method for producing a liquid crystal display device, the method includes a drying step of heating to a first heating temperature lower than the boiling point of and a baking step of heating the dispersion to a second heating temperature higher than the boiling point of the high-boiling solvent. is there.
The invention according to claim 2 is the method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the dispersion has a content of the high boiling point solvent of 10 parts by weight or more and 100 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the spacer particles. It is a manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device using the thing below a weight part.
Invention of Claim 3 is a manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device of Claim 1 or Claim 2, Comprising: Said 2nd heating temperature is made higher than the boiling point of the said high boiling-point solvent. It is a manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display device.
Invention of Claim 4 is a manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 3, Comprising: As said high boiling point solvent, a boiling point is 90 degreeC rather than the boiling point of the said low boiling point solvent. This is a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device using a higher one.
The invention according to claim 5 is the liquid crystal display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the temperature of the substrate when the dispersion is applied is set to be higher than the boiling point of the low boiling point solvent. Is a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device in which the temperature is lowered by 10 ° C. or more and 60 ° C. or less.
A sixth aspect of the present invention is the method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the high boiling point solvent is ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, di This is a method for producing a liquid crystal display device using any one solvent selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether.
Invention of Claim 7 is a manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 6, Comprising: As said low boiling-point solvent, isopropyl alcohol, n-butanol, and 2-butanol. , Isobutanol, isoaminoalcohol, 2-ethylbutanol, and water, any one type of solvent selected from the group consisting of water.
The invention according to claim 8 is the method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the dispersion liquid is applied to a plurality of installation locations spaced apart from each other on the surface of the substrate. This is a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, in which the dispersion liquid is applied so that the number of spacer particles arranged in one installation place is more than 3 and 15 or less.

  The present invention is configured as described above, and when the dispersion liquid applied to the substrate surface is heated to remove the solvent, the spacer particles remain on the substrate surface. If another substrate is overlaid on the substrate on which the spacer particles remain on the surface, the spacer particles are superimposed on the two substrates, and if the liquid crystal material is sealed in the gap between the two substrates, the liquid crystal display device Is obtained.

  In the prior art, after applying the spacer dispersion at room temperature, the solvent is removed from the spacer dispersion by drying once. When all the solvent was removed at once, the spacer particles agglomerated rapidly, resulting in the spacer particles being stacked.

  In the present application, the solvent removal is divided into two stages, that is, a drying process for drying at a first heating temperature and a baking process for baking at a temperature higher than the first heating temperature. Even if the spacer dispersion liquid is applied so that several spacer particles are arranged, the spacer particles are not stacked.

  Since the spacer dispersion contains a low-boiling solvent in addition to the high-boiling solvent, the time required for drying and removal is shortened as compared with the case where only the high-boiling solvent is added to the spacer dispersion as a solvent. Even if the substrate is moved after applying the liquid, the spacer particles are unlikely to be displaced.

  According to the present invention, since the spacer particles are not stacked on the substrate, the gap unevenness hardly occurs. Further, since more than three spacer particles can be arranged in one installation place without being stacked, a highly reliable liquid crystal display device having high resistance to heat and impact can be obtained.

  Reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1 shows an example of a liquid crystal display device manufactured according to the present invention. The liquid crystal display device 10 has first and second substrates 15 and 25. The first and second substrates 15 and 25 are plate-like first and second substrate bodies 11 and 21, and first and second electrodes disposed on the surfaces of the first and second substrate bodies 11 and 21. The first and second alignment films 13 and 23 are disposed on the surfaces of the first and second electrode films 12 and 22, and the first and second substrates 15 and 25 are provided. In the state where the surfaces on which the first and second alignment films 13 and 23 are formed face each other, a plurality of spacer particles 33 are sandwiched between them and separated from each other by the particle size of the spacer particles 33.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the positions of the spacer particles 33. Here, a plurality of first electrode films 12 are arranged in a matrix in a state of being separated from each other. If a region where the first electrode film 12 is not arranged is a non-pixel region, the non-pixel region is a lattice shape. In this case, a plurality of spacer particles are arranged at each installation location 38 where the intersection of the lattices is located, and the spacer particles 33 at each installation location 38 do not protrude from the non-pixel region to the region on the first electrode film 12. Is agglomerated.

  Accordingly, the spacer particles 33 do not exist in the region on the first electrode film 12, and a gap is formed at a position on the first electrode film 12 between the first and second substrates 15 and 25. The liquid crystal material 32 is disposed in the gap.

  Between the first and second substrates 15 and 25, a ring-shaped sealing member 31 surrounding the region where the first electrode film 12 is disposed is disposed, and the gap on the first electrode film 12 is The first and second substrates 15 and 25 and the sealing member 31 are sealed from the external space. Therefore, the liquid crystal material 32 disposed in the gap is sealed from the external space.

  Each first electrode film 12 faces the second electrode film 22 with the liquid crystal material 32 and the first and second alignment films 13 and 23 interposed therebetween. Transistors (not shown) are connected to the first electrode film 12. When a transistor is selected and a voltage is applied between the predetermined first electrode film 12 and the second electrode film 22, the voltage is reduced. A current flows through the applied liquid crystal material 32 positioned between the first and second electrode films 12 and 22, the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules changes, and the polarization changes. For example, when the liquid crystal material 32 is a nematic liquid crystal, light is polarized in a state where no current flows, but light travels straight without being polarized in a state where current flows.

  First and second polarizing plates 16 and 26 are disposed on the surfaces of the first and second substrates 15 and 25 opposite to the first and second alignment films 13 and 23, respectively. A backlight 39 is arranged on the first polarizing plate 16 side of the light 15, and light from the backlight 39 enters the first polarizing plate 16 and is polarized.

  The first and second substrate bodies 11 and 21 and the first and second electrode films 12 and 22 and the first and second alignment films 13 and 23 are transparent and polarized by the first polarizing plate 16. The incident light enters the liquid crystal material 32 through the first electrode film 12 and the first alignment film 13.

  Here, the first and second polarizing plates 16 and 26 are directed so that the polarization directions thereof are orthogonal to each other. When the light is polarized by the liquid crystal material 32, the second alignment film 23 and the second polarizing film 23 After passing through the electrode film 22 and the second substrate body 21, it passes through the second polarizing plate 26, but is absorbed by the second polarizing plate 26 when polarized by the liquid crystal material 32.

  As described above, since the polarization property of the liquid crystal material 32 can be changed depending on whether or not a voltage is applied to the first and second electrode films 12 and 22, the voltage is applied by selecting the first electrode film 12. By doing so, light can be emitted only from a desired location, and image information such as figures and characters can be displayed.

Next, a process of creating a spacer dispersion used for manufacturing the liquid crystal display device 10 described above will be described.
First, a mixed solvent is prepared by mixing a low boiling point solvent, a high boiling point solvent having a higher boiling point than the low boiling point solvent, and a medium boiling point solvent whose boiling point is between the boiling point of the low boiling point solvent and the boiling point of the high boiling point solvent. Then, spacer particles are dispersed in the mixed solvent to prepare a spacer dispersion.

Next, a process for manufacturing the liquid crystal display device 10 using this spacer dispersion liquid will be described.
Reference numeral 1 in FIG. 3 shows an example of a printing apparatus used in the present invention, and the printing apparatus 1 includes a table 2 and a transport tray 9 disposed on the table 2. FIG. 3 shows a state where the first substrate 15 described above is placed on the transport tray 9.

  The printing apparatus 1 has a temperature adjusting unit (not shown), and the temperature adjusting unit cools or heats the first substrate 15 on the transport tray 9 to change the temperature of the first substrate 15 to the above-described spacer. A predetermined printing temperature lower than the boiling point of the low boiling point solvent of the dispersion by 10 ° C. or more and 60 ° C. or less is set.

The first substrate 15 is placed on the transport tray 9 with the first alignment film 13 facing upward and the surface on the first alignment film 13 side being substantially horizontal.
A moving means (not shown) is connected to the transport tray 9, and when the transport tray 9 is moved by the moving means, the first substrate 15 moves together, and the surface on the first alignment film 13 side is in a horizontal plane. Configured to move with.

Reference numeral 3 in FIG. 3 indicates the moving direction of the transport tray 9, and the print head 8 is disposed on the downstream side of the moving direction 3 on the table 2.
The print head 8 is positioned higher than the surface of the first substrate 15 placed on the transport tray 9 on the first alignment film 13 side. When the transport tray 9 is moved by the moving means, the first The substrate 15 moves below the print head 8 without contacting the print head 8.

A supply system (not shown) is connected to the print head 8, and the spacer dispersion liquid prepared in the above process is disposed in the supply system, and the spacer dispersion liquid is supplied to the print head 8.
A plurality of nozzles (not shown) are provided on the surface of the print head 8 facing the base 2. Here, the nozzles are arranged in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction 3 with a predetermined interval, and the interval between the nozzle and the nozzle is the same as the interval in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction 3 of the installation place 38.

  When the first substrate 15 is moved so that the installation location 38 is located directly under each nozzle and the spacer dispersion liquid is discharged from the nozzle, the spacer dispersion liquid is applied to the installation location 38 directly below the nozzle on the surface of the first alignment film 13. Will land.

  FIG. 4A shows a state immediately after the spacer dispersion liquid 35 has landed, and since the surface of the first alignment film 13 is substantially horizontal, the spacer dispersion liquid that has landed on the installation place 38 is in another place. Do not move to. Accordingly, the spacer dispersion liquid 35 is applied to the installation place 38.

  The temperature adjusting means described above is configured so that the first substrate 15 can be maintained at the above-described printing temperature even when the first substrate 15 moves below the print head 8, and when the spacer dispersion liquid is applied. The first substrate 15 is maintained at the printing temperature.

  Since the printing temperature is 10 ° C. or more and 60 ° C. or less lower than the boiling point of the low boiling point solvent, the high boiling point solvent hardly evaporates from the spacer dispersion 35 applied to the first substrate 15, but the low boiling point solvent evaporates. The evaporation rate is slow.

The specific gravity of the spacer particles 33 is heavier than the specific gravity of the mixed solvent 34, and the spacer particles 33 settle in the landed spacer dispersion 35.
If the mixed solvent 34 is rapidly evaporated when the spacer particles 33 are settled and the density of the spacer particles 33 is suddenly increased, the spacer particles 33 that are sedimented are stacked in the vertical direction. Since it does not evaporate and the evaporation rate of the low boiling point solvent is slow, the settled spacer particles are not stacked, but are arranged on the surface of the first alignment film 13 as shown in FIG.

  Accordingly, the settled spacer particles 33 are located in the same plane, and the spacer particles 33 at the same installation location 38 are aggregated together by the amount of the low boiling point solvent evaporating to increase the spacer particle 33 density. It is in a state.

  Next, while the first substrate 15 is maintained at the printing temperature, the transport tray 9 is moved to the downstream side in the moving direction 3 to place a new installation place 38 directly below the nozzle, and the spacer dispersion liquid has landed. The place 38 is moved downstream in the movement direction 3 from the nozzle.

  Since the spacer particles 33 at the installation location 38 are agglomerated, the mobility is lower than when dispersed, and the spacer particles 33 do not deviate from the installation location 38 even when the first substrate 15 moves. , It does not protrude into the region on the first electrode film 12.

  After discharging the spacer dispersion liquid to the new installation place 38, while the first substrate 15 is maintained at the printing temperature, the movement of the transport tray 9 and the discharge of the spacer dispersion liquid are repeated, and each installation on the first substrate 15 is performed. The spacer dispersion 35 is applied to the place 38.

  The first and second heating devices 5 and 6 are installed in the described order on the downstream side in the moving direction 3 from the print head 8 on the table 2, and the spacer dispersion liquid 35 is applied to each installation location 38. The first substrate 15 in a state is moved from the position below the print head 8 into the first heating device 5, and the first substrate 15 has a temperature higher than the boiling point of the medium boiling solvent and lower than the boiling point of the high boiling solvent. The first substrate 15 is heated to the heating temperature to evaporate the low boiling point solvent and the medium boiling point solvent. At this time, a part of the high boiling point solvent also evaporates, but since the first heating temperature is lower than the boiling point of the high boiling point solvent, most of the high boiling point solvent remains without being removed. Accordingly, the spacer particles 33 and the mixed solvent 34 containing a high-concentration high-boiling solvent remain at the installation location 38.

  When the low-boiling point solvent and the medium-boiling point solvent are removed and the amount of the mixed solvent 34 decreases, the density of the spacer particles 33 increases and the spacer particles 33 further aggregate. The spacer particles are made of, for example, resin particles. Since the resin particles have high wettability with respect to the high boiling point solvent, the surface of each spacer particle 33 is covered with the high boiling point solvent.

When the spacer particles 33 are aggregated while being covered with the high boiling point solvent from the state where the spacer particles 33 are located in the same plane, the spacer particles 33 are aggregated in the same plane without being stacked.
FIG. 4D shows a state after the drying process in which the first substrate 15 is heated for a predetermined time at the first heating temperature. The installation place 38 has spacer particles 33 aggregated in the same plane and a high boiling point. A mixed solvent 34 containing a solvent at a high concentration remains.

  The mixed solvent after the drying step contains almost no solvent other than the high-boiling solvent, and the amount of the mixed solvent 34 is reduced by the amount of removal of the low-boiling solvent and the medium-boiling solvent. The mobility in the solvent 34 is greatly reduced than before the drying step.

  In particular, when the content of the high boiling point solvent when discharged from the nozzle is 10 to 100 parts by weight, more preferably 60 parts by weight or less with respect to 100 parts by weight of the spacer particles, the mixed solvent 34 after the drying step is used. Therefore, the mixed solvent 34 only remains attached around the aggregated spacer particles 33, and the movement of the spacer particles 33 in the mixed solvent 34 occurs. Absent.

  Next, the transport tray 9 is moved downstream in the moving direction 3 from the first heating device 5, the first substrate 15 is transported into the second heating device 6, and the second higher than the boiling point of the high boiling point solvent. The remaining mixed solvent 34 is dried and removed when heated to the above heating temperature.

  As described above, since the spacer particles 33 do not move any more in the mixed solvent 34, when the mixed solvent 34 is removed, the spacer particles 33 do not further aggregate and the spacer particles 33 aggregate in the same plane. It remains in the state (baking process).

  FIG. 4E shows the first substrate 15 after the firing step. Since the spacer particles 33 are aggregated in the same plane without being stacked, the height from the surface of the first substrate 15 to the upper end of the spacer particles 33 is equal at each installation location 38.

  Even if the spacer dispersion liquid 35 immediately after landing on the installation place 38 protrudes on the first electrode film 12, the spacer particles 33 are collected at the installation place 38 by evaporation of the low boiling point solvent after the application and the drying process. In addition, the spacer particles 33 do not protrude on the first electrode film 12 after the firing step.

  Next, the second substrate 25 is horizontally disposed with the surface on the alignment film 23 side facing up, and the edge portion of the second substrate 25 is formed on the surface on the alignment film 23 side of the second substrate 25 as shown in FIG. A ring-shaped sealing material 27 is disposed along the line.

  After a predetermined amount of the liquid crystal material 32 is dropped inside the ring of the sealing material 27 on the surface of the alignment film 23, the first substrate 15 in the state shown in FIG. The liquid crystal material 32 and the sealing material 27 are placed on the first and second substrates 15 and 25 after being positioned on the second substrate 25 with the one alignment film 13 side facing downward. When sandwiched, the sealing material 27 and the surface of the first substrate 15 on the first alignment film 13 side and the surface of the second substrate 25 on the second alignment film 23 side sandwich the liquid crystal material 32. In close contact.

  Although the film thickness of the sealing material 27 is larger than the particle diameter of the spacer particles 33, when the sealing material 27 is sandwiched between the first and second substrates 15 and 25, the sealing material 27 becomes the first and second substrates. The second substrate 25 is pressed against the first substrate 15 while being in close contact with the first and second substrates 25 and 25.

  As described above, since the height of the spacer particles 33 is equal at each installation location 38, the surface of the second substrate 25 pressed against the first substrate 15 faces the spacer particles 33 at each installation location 38. Abutted.

  The sealing material 27 is composed of, for example, an ultraviolet curable adhesive. When the sealing material 27 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the sealing material 27 is cured while being in close contact with the surfaces of the first and second substrates 15 and 25, and the sealing material 27 is sealed. A member 31 is formed.

  Next, first and second polarizing plates 16 and 26 are attached to the surfaces of the first and second substrates 15 and 25 opposite to the first and second alignment films 13 and 23, respectively, and the backlight If 39 is arrange | positioned, the liquid crystal display device 10 mentioned above will be obtained.

  In the liquid crystal display device 10, as described above, the surface of the second substrate 25 is in contact with the spacer particles 33 at the respective installation locations 38, so that the distance between the first and second substrates 15, 25. Is uniform. Moreover, since the second substrate 25 is supported by three or more spacer particles 33 at each installation location 38, it is resistant to physical impact and the reliability of the liquid crystal display device 10 is high.

  DEG (diethylene glycol, boiling point: 244.3 ° C) as a high boiling point solvent, IPA (isopropyl alcohol, boiling point: 82.3 ° C) as a low boiling point solvent, water (boiling point: 100 ° C) as a middle boiling point solvent, spacer particles Twelve types of spacer dispersion liquids consisting of polystyrene resin particles (specific gravity of about 1.0) were prepared. The spacer particles, the high boiling point solvent, and the content (% by weight) of the low boiling point solvent in each spacer dispersion are shown in Table 1 below.

  Also, instead of DEG, 12 kinds of spacer dispersions were prepared using DPG (dipropylene glycol) as a high boiling point solvent. The spacer particles, the high boiling point solvent, and the content (% by weight) of the low boiling point solvent in each spacer dispersion are shown in Table 2 below.

  As the substrate 15, a substrate in which an alignment film 13 made of a polyimide film is formed on the surface of a substrate body made of plate-like glass, and the 24 kinds of spacer dispersion liquids are transferred from the nozzles of the inkjet printer to the alignment film 13 of the substrate 15. Applied to the surface. The substrate 15 temperature at the time of applying the spacer dispersion liquid was maintained at 30 ° C.

  The size of droplets when ejected from the nozzle is shown in “Droplets” in Tables 1 and 2 above, and the average number of spacer particles 33 arranged in one installation place 38 is shown in “Average Number” in Tables 1 and 2 above. "In the column.

  Next, after drying the spacer dispersion liquid at the first heating temperature (200 ° C.) and further firing at the second heating temperature (240 ° C.), it is observed whether the spacer particles remaining on the surface of the substrate 15 are stacked. did. The results are shown in the “overlap” column in Tables 1 and 2 above.

  In Comparative Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Examples 5 to 8, the content of the high boiling point solvent relative to 100 parts by weight of the spacer particles was less than 10 parts by weight, and the spacer particles were stacked in the “overlap” test.

  On the other hand, in Examples 1 to 16, the content of the high boiling point solvent with respect to 100 parts by weight of the spacer particles is 10 parts by weight or more and 60 parts by weight or less. Were agglomerated in the same plane.

  As in Examples 7 and 8 and Examples 15 and 16, even when 10 or more spacer particles were arranged in one place, no overlapping of the spacer particles was observed. It can be seen that it can be effectively prevented.

  Although the case where the polystyrene resin particles are used as the spacer particles has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and various types such as silicon-modified polymer particles can be used in addition to the polystyrene resin particles.

  The spacer particles 33 are not limited to resin particles. For example, silica particles whose surfaces are coated with a silane coupling agent, resin coating particles whose inorganic particles are covered with a resin layer, and the like are also wettable with respect to a high boiling point solvent. Is suitable for the present invention. The amount of the spacer particles to be contained in the spacer dispersion liquid is not particularly limited, but an example is 1 wt% or more and 6 wt% or less.

The method of applying the spacer dispersion liquid is not particularly limited, but the number of spacer particles 33 disposed in each installation place 38 is more than 3 and 15 or less, and the arrangement density of the spacer particles 33 is 80 / mm ² or more and 250. pieces / mm ² becomes less, it is desirable that the area occupied spacer particles 33 is applied so that the 13 .mu.m ² or 180 [mu] m ² or less.

  The arrangement density of the spacer particles 33 is the number of the spacer particles 33 in the entire display region (the region inside the sealing member 31) in which the liquid crystal material 32 is sealed. This is the installation area of the spacer particles 33 arranged at the discharge location (installation location 38).

  As described above, when the spacer dispersion liquid is ejected from the nozzles of the ink jet printer, the spacer dispersion liquid may be applied to the installation place 38 by one ejection, or the spacer dispersion liquid may be applied to the same installation place 38 two or more times. The liquid may be discharged.

  The installation location 38 of the spacer particles 33 is not particularly limited, and the spacer particles 33 may be either colored or colorless, but the installation location 38 is preferably in the non-pixel region described above. In that case, the installation location 38 is not limited to the intersection of the grids in the non-pixel region, and is a location other than the intersection of the columns and rows, for example, the first electrode films 12 adjacent to each other in the columns. The portion sandwiched between the adjacent first electrode films 12 in the row may be set as the installation place 38.

  Examples of high boiling point solvents that can be used in the present invention are shown in Table 3 below, and examples of low boiling point solvents that can be used in the present invention are described in Table 4 below, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

If the temperature difference between the boiling point of the low-boiling solvent and the boiling point of the high-boiling solvent is small, a large amount of the high-boiling solvent may be removed together with the low-boiling solvent in the drying process. The difference from the boiling point of is preferably 90 ° C. or more.
Table 5 below shows examples of combinations of low-boiling solvents and high-boiling solvents, differences in boiling points between the combinations, and printing temperatures suitable for the combinations.

  In the present invention, the low boiling point solvent is the one having the lowest boiling point among the solvents to be contained in the spacer dispersion liquid, and the high boiling point solvent is the one having the highest boiling point among the solvents to be contained in the spacer dispersion liquid. Among these solvents, those having a boiling point higher than that of the low boiling point solvent and lower than that of the high boiling point solvent are medium boiling point solvents.

  For example, although water is described as the low boiling point solvent in Table 4 above, when the same spacer dispersion liquid contains a solvent having a lower boiling point than water, such as IPA, water becomes the medium boiling point solvent. Conversely, when a solvent having a boiling point lower than that of water is not contained in the spacer dispersion liquid, water becomes a low boiling point solvent.

  If a medium boiling point solvent having a boiling point higher than the first heating temperature is used, not only a high boiling point solvent but also a medium boiling point solvent remains after the drying step. When using a material having a lower boiling point or a boiling point higher than the first heating temperature, the total content of the medium boiling point solvent and the high boiling point solvent is 100 parts by weight of the spacer particle 33 content. It is preferable to use a spacer dispersion of 10 parts by weight or more and 100 parts by weight or less, more preferably 60 parts by weight or less.

Only one type of medium-boiling point solvent may be contained in the spacer dispersion liquid, or two or more kinds may be contained in the same spacer dispersion liquid. Further, the mixed solvent 34 may be composed of only the high boiling point solvent and the low boiling point solvent without using the medium boiling point solvent.
In addition to the spacer particles and the mixed solvent, a fixing agent, a surfactant, an alignment treatment agent, an antioxidant, a colorant, and the like can be added to the spacer dispersion.

  The first and second substrates 15 and 25 used in the present invention are not particularly limited in material and structure, such as a TFT array substrate and a color filter substrate. The types of substrate bodies 11 and 21 used for the first and second substrates 15 and 25 are not particularly limited, and a glass substrate, a plastic substrate, or the like can be used as long as it has high translucency.

  The types of the alignment films 13 and 23 are not particularly limited, and in addition to the resin film such as the polyimide film described above, an oriented carbon film or an inorganic film such as silicon dioxide can be used.

The first and second electrode films are preferably transparent, and specifically, thin films made of various transparent conductive materials such as ITO (indium tin oxide) thin film, SnO ₂ thin film, ZnO _x thin film, and IZO thin film are used. Can do. The kind of the liquid crystal material is not particularly limited, and various materials such as a smectic liquid crystal and a cholesteric liquid crystal can be used in addition to the nematic liquid crystal.

Sectional drawing explaining an example of a liquid crystal display device Plan view schematically showing the arrangement of spacer particles The figure explaining an example of the printing apparatus used for this invention (A)-(e): Sectional drawing explaining the process of arrange | positioning spacer particle | grains to a 1st board | substrate. Sectional view of the second substrate Sectional drawing for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device of a prior art

Explanation of symbols

  10 …… Liquid crystal display device 11, 21 …… Substrate 33 …… Spacer particles 35 …… Space dispersion liquid 38 …… Installation place

Claims (8)

A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, in which a dispersion containing spacer particles is applied to a substrate surface, and then the dispersion applied to the substrate surface is heated.
The dispersion contains the spacer particles, a low boiling point solvent, and a high boiling point solvent having a higher boiling point than the low boiling point solvent,
The dispersion is heated by a drying step in which the dispersion is heated to a first heating temperature lower than the boiling point of the high boiling solvent, and a second heating temperature in which the dispersion is higher than the boiling point of the high boiling solvent. The manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device which has a baking process heated to.   The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein a content of the high boiling point solvent is 10 parts by weight or more and 100 parts by weight or less with respect to 100 parts by weight of the spacer particles.   The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the second heating temperature is set higher than the boiling point of the high boiling point solvent.   4. The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the high-boiling point solvent has a boiling point that is 90 ° C. or more higher than the boiling point of the low-boiling point solvent.   5. The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the substrate when the dispersion is applied is lower by 10 ° C. or more and 60 ° C. or less than the boiling point of the low boiling point solvent. .   The solvent according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein any one solvent selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether is used as the high boiling point solvent. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1.   As the low boiling point solvent, any one solvent selected from the group consisting of isopropyl alcohol, n-butanol, 2-butanol, isobutanol, isoamino alcohol, 2-ethylbutanol, and water. The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein: The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the dispersion liquid is applied to a plurality of installation locations spaced apart from each other on the surface of the substrate.
The manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device which apply | coats the said dispersion liquid so that the number of the spacer particle | grains arrange | positioned at one said installation place may exceed 3 pieces and is 15 pieces or less.

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